Modern day surgical systems, and in particular, modem day ophthalmic surgical systems are designed to monitor and display multiple parameters of a surgical device or instrument that is connected to the surgical system and controlled by the surgeon. Such systems can be complex given the multiple parameters that must be displayed and controlled by a surgeon. A typical ophthalmic surgical system can provide several different functions, such as illumination, phacoemulsification, irrigation and aspiration, vitrectomy and micro-scissor cutting, among others, and provide capabilities for interior and/or posterior segment surgery.
Certain known phacoemulsification systems allow for application of fixed ultrasound power, i.e., energy that is either on or off at a constant level. Improvements were made to these constant energy systems by allowing phacoemulsification power to be linearly controlled. In this instance, power is proportional to the displacement of the surgeon's foot pedal. In other words, more ultrasound power is provided in accordance with the linear or proportional control as the surgeon depresses the foot pedal.
Other known phacoemulsification systems use other modes of ultrasound power, such as pulse mode, in which phacoemulsification power is provided in periodic pulses of a constant duty cycle, but with amplitude increasing or being fixed with foot pedal displacement. Other known systems use a burst mode, in which power is provided at a constant amplitude, but with intervals of power reducing with foot pedal displacement.
Examples of known user interfaces for displaying and controlling operating parameters of a surgical device are shown in FIGS. 22 and 23. Known interfaces typically include several types of human actionable controllers or fields that occupy pre-defined and fixed positions on a display screen. The interface is manipulated by a surgeon to provide control signals to the surgical instruments which, in turn, control the mode and amount of power provided to a handpiece for delivering ultrasound power. More particularly, known control consoles typically include interfaces that have push buttons, arrows, switches, bars and/or knobs for setting desired numeric values of operating characteristics for the surgical system. Whether the parameter is constant or varies linearly can be represented by a horizontal line and a line at an angle, respectively.
For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a surgeon manually selects the power mode to be continuous from the selection bar 10, and then manually selects the maximum amount of continuous power 12 that should be provided. In this instance, the maximum continuous power is 40% of the maximum power or power limit. This selection is performed by pressing the up/down arrows 11. In this example, continuous power 12 varies linearly. Pressing on the field switches between linear and continuous (fixed) control of the value. The surgeon also manually selects a constant vacuum of 80 mm Hg 14 and a constant aspiration rate of 23 cc/min 16 using up/down arrows 11. The instantaneous values of the ultrasound power, vacuum and aspiration rate are shown in fields 20, 22 and 24. The system is then controlled by a foot pedal controller to remotely control the surgical instruments based on the selected parameters.
As a further example, shown in FIG. 23, a surgeon manually selects using the power mode to be a linear pulse mode, rather than a linear continuous mode, and manually selects the power limit of 70%, eight pulses per second (pps) 30 and that the pulses should be on 20% of the time 32. The surgeon also manually selects the vacuum limit 14 to linearly increase up to 300 mm Hg and the aspiration 16 to be constant at 45 cc/min. These adjustments are made in a similar manner as previously discussed by touching the up/down arrows 11 to increase or decrease the parameter value.
While known interfaces have been used to perform successful procedures in the past, they can be improved. Particularly, the visual and functional aspects of interfaces can be enhanced so that the representation and control of additional parameters and power modes do not result in unnecessarily complicated interfaces, thus providing useful interfaces that are visually organized and comprehensible. Interfaces should also be capable of effectively representing various operating parameters of various ultrasound driving modes, including continuous, linear, pulse, burst, and combinations or modifications thereof. Improvements can be equally applicable to other non-ultrasound surgical modalities, for example irrigation, aspiration, coagulation using high-frequency currents to coagulate tissue to stop bleeding, vitrectomy, a mode using guillotine mechanical cutter that uses a high speed miniature jet of warmed irrigation solution, and others. Further, it should be easier for a surgeon to manipulate the interface and exert proper control over the surgical devices during a surgical procedure, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and safety of the procedure.